阿諾提早成為跛腳鴨
【邱鴻安】阿諾原本要等到下任州長於2010年11月選出後，才會成為跛腳鴨，但現在卻己提早成為跛腳鴨。為什麼呢？大家只要看他所受到的對待就可知道：他最近力竭聲嘶地到處呼籲，加州必須大幅削減開支以平衡預算，但是州議會卻對他的呼籲置若罔聞，控制了州參眾兩會的民主黨人，對他的呼籲可說是完全不與理會，更遑論會在削減開支上作出讓步。
加州的州長選舉要到明年初才會啟動，當選舉啟動後，新聞的焦點才會轉移到參選人身上，但現在離開選舉啟動還有半年，阿諾已開始在最重要的預算工作上被邊緣化，正好反映出他提早成為跛腳鴨的事實。
為什麼民主黨可以無須理會作為州長的阿諾？在加州目前的政治生態中，民主黨表面上控制了州議會，但在背後控制民主黨的，卻是勢力強大的加州工會；工會不肯在削減預算方面讓步，作為工會代表的民主黨，也就不敢越雷池半步。
加州的工會向來是很強大的，加州的政治歷史顯示，過去40年，工會勢力在每一次重要政治角力中都沒有失敗過。最明顯和記憶猶新的例子莫過於2005年工會與阿諾的那一次角力。那一年，阿諾要推行政制和預算改革，提出了八項選民提案，但提案觸及了教師、護士和消警等工會的利益，護士和教師於是整年追蹤他，他每到一處都有教師和護士抗議，殉職消警的家屬更屢屢出動，在他出席公開活動的現場，當面指責他剝奪他們的福利，搞得他焦頭爛額，無處可避。結果，阿諾那一年提出的改革提案，只能全軍盡墨。
在加州眼前的263億元預算赤字危機中，阿諾堅持要大幅削減開支，以平衡預算。他說，加州政府現在每天的支出超過了收入3000萬元，一個月下來赤字就達到10億元，大家只憑常識，已知道州政府沒有理由在明知赤字天天擴大的情況下，還繼續讓州政府超支下去，而不去削減開支。他反對加稅，主張大幅減少開支，措施包括：削減學校經費30億元，取消40萬個貧窮家庭的福利金，以及取消94萬名貧窮兒童的健保。但是這些削減措施卻觸及工會和民主黨的核心價值，因此引起了強烈反對。
過去數天，一些公務員工會已開始發起抗議阿諾的行動，例如發動一些坐輪椅的老人，走進州府大樓內，在阿諾的州長辦公室前，堵塞通道。這種情況令人想起2005年殉職消警家屬的攔路抗議。更強大的教師工會，也開始播出全州性的電視廣告，指責阿諾要取消第98號提案，這項提案被教師工會視為絕不能妥協原則，因為它規定州政府必須把每年的四成總預算撥為學校經費。
在面對強大的工會勢力下，阿諾唯有承認，在預算工作上，他已無決定權，因此不再堅持大削開支，並且遊說州議會的共和黨議員，支持以開源和節流的雙重措施去平衡預算，這樣州政府才有達成預算協議和結束預算僵局的機會。(世界日報，7.9.2009)
Straight Shooter, Jariel, Daren, and Phantom Rocker: Eat your heart out.
It's simply irresponsible to suggest the continuation of awful social programs at this trying time.
Back in the 50s' when my parents came to the states,
it was not the welfare system that attracted them here,
it was not the handouts that attracted them here,
and certainly, it was not the "government can do everything for you" that attracted them here.
They(my parents) had a dream...that they can be whatever they want through hard work, and their children free from tyrany will become the best they can be. My father had $80 dollars to his name in 1957, but by 1976 my parents had 3 restaurants and a Ford dealership. I am sure you have heard many immigrants' success stories, and one thing I am sure, you never heard these immigrants taking hand outs from government.
To me it is very simple, take away the one thing that keeps attracting illegals to come here and the ligals from their potentials...social welfare.
Take away the social welfare, then in effect, you take the incentive away for them to come here, and the welfare addicts to stay home.
I can accommodate social care for the elderly, children and the disable provided that they have legal status, everybody else...please go back to where you come from.
I also take offense when the medias brand us conservatives as "anti immigrants," that is dishonesty at its best displayed by the left leaning main stream medias.
These are not FACTS. What you've suggested are more like skies-are-falling, what-if theories.
California is amongst states with highest unemployment benefit. The highest of them all is Massachusetts ($628), while Arizona has the lowest ($240). Are you telling me the destitute are turning Arizona upside down and inside out at this very moment and making AZ into a hellish place?! I've lived in AZ for a few years, it's quite a paradise. I am not advocating no unemployment benefits in CA ($450), just reduce it to a level that CA taxpayers can afford, especially now with budget crisis.
Cutting back on police... I have nothing to say about police, they don't get paid enough anyway. And besides, they're small potatoes in this budget crisis comparing to other big-ticket items that waste far more resources.
Are you so stuck up with your liberal ideology that you have no room for compromise?! We sure need more people like you now more than ever !
I am still waiting for facts if you have any.
Your questions, however, have to do with "how many" of them. If the number is too large, obviously something needs to be done. And what do you propose to solve them?
these are good virtues, I have no problems with them whatsoever.
However,
Do you want to share with an able body who is on welfare for 3 years?
Do you want to share with a single mom who has no job but for some reason keep having baby(ies) each year?
Do you want to share with someone who never pays any taxes but sends his/her kids to our school?
Do you want to share with someone who never pays taxes but comes here from over sea and apply for government housing(I personally know people like such)?
Do you want to share with someone who never pays taxes but demands healthcare which you and I eventually will have to pay?
Do you do you????
You see, the Liberal Democrats has managed here in the 21st century to actually enslave a large portion of the US population byt making them addicted to welfare...genius!
The more people ore on the government dole, the more they are going to vote for the Dems...genius!
Ohhh, I was a running back in my high school football team as well as USMC 2nd bat. weapon specialist. I had the opportunity to go into the jungle of Nic(Nicaraqua) and rescued some nuns back in 1979...do these count as team sports?
The brand of libertarism that you practise is synonym of selfishness. I wonder if you have ever played a team sport, like basketball or soccer. Do you pass the ball to create a scoring chance for your teammates? Or you will let a scoring chance pass you by for the sake of hogging the ball?
Arno ran on a Republican ticket and got himself elected, but he sure ran the State of Cal like a Democrat. If Arno had stuck with the conservative principles and truly reform the state according to the conservative values...we probably wouldn't be here talking about it. What a shame!
Try to cut unemployment benefits to put more destitude jobless people out on the streets.
Try to cut back on police's pay to make them disgruntled.
Now, you have got yourself the ingredients for brewing troubles.
As a resident and a taxpayer, I have no problem channeling our resources towards education, especially to uplift the "poor". After all, kids are our future's cornerstone. But 40% budget to the teachers union with NO accountability? (Prop 98) Is this your version of utopia?
Get rid of union and introduce voucher system, bring free market economy into our education system. If the liberals agree to do that, the conservatives will compromise. But the liberals won't ! How is that for the common good ?! If one really gets down to the bottom, one will see that the liberals are typically rich hating with faces green from envy. Don't be hating just because papa and mama never told you to study hard and work hard.
You cut this, and you cut that. What you want to cut now will come back to haunt you in the not too distant future.
The law of conservation does not apply just to physics, but sociology also. You don't want to spend money in one social program. Then you will find yourself having to spend it in some other social program. Simple as that!
Don't give us the "more gubernatorial Republicans than Democrats in California" bullshit. The liberals dominated state's population, thus state legislature makes laws favor liberalism. Governors are merely the state executives. What is one to do when its people passed the idiotic laws such as the recent Prop. 98 that guarantees spending with NO accountability?
Do us all a favor, if you don't reside in CA, please spare us with your "more tax & loan" post.